


Many Things

by LadyKes



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Case Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 19:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8929618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKes/pseuds/LadyKes
Summary: Phryne Fisher was many things.   Intelligent.  Resourceful.   Attractive.  Frustrating.  Unique.  
And right now, sleeping soundly on his shoulder.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a tiny little present for the MFMM fandom, which is friendly and encouraging and welcoming to all. Whatever you celebrate at this time of year (or if you celebrate nothing at all), enjoy it.

Phryne Fisher was many things. Intelligent. Resourceful. Attractive. Frustrating. Unique. 

And right now, sleeping soundly on his shoulder. Her face was relaxed and open in sleep, but he decided he preferred it when she was animated and full of whatever mischief was undoubtedly being considered.

He also knew that if she woke up, she’d probably have something witty to say about the inferiority of his suit fabric as a pillow. She’d be right, of course. He was a detective inspector and he dressed that way. Bespoke suits weren’t in the budget, though he was always careful to look professional.

How she’d ended up sleeping on his shoulder was a complex question, but then it nearly always was with Miss Fisher. There had been a series of kidnappings in Melbourne, mostly of factory owners or managers. A ransom was always demanded, and in most cases was paid. After that, the victim had eventually been released in all cases but one. And it was that one case that had led to Miss Fisher’s involvement. The owner, a Mr. John Evans, had simply not been released after the ransom had been paid, which had led his decorative society wife to tearfully beg Miss Fisher to become involved. She had of course agreed, and then immediately demanded Jack’s assistance.

They’d had a task force working on the kidnappings for a month now, but the kidnapper or kidnappers were smart -- much smarter than the usual criminal tended to be. Ransoms were demanded in untraceable amounts, communicated through notes in the papers that could never be authenticated, and they never chose the same industry twice.

Miss Fisher had decided to start her investigation with the first kidnapping rather than focus on the one that she was ostensibly hired to solve. It was a good way to be sure that nothing had been missed along the way, but even she had to admit after a long night of combing through case files that she was likely no further along than the task force was and had been. 

She’d decided at that point that she was going to Geelong and Jack was going with her. Dot had questioned their destination only moments before Jack would have, but Miss Fisher was not deterred. She had a hunch, and nothing would do but that the entire world should stop so that she could follow it.

Maddeningly, she’d been right about the hunch. She usually was, but it remained maddening.

At that moment, as if aware that he was thinking of her, she stirred, blinked, and then stretched slightly.

“Jack,” she said sleepily, and he nodded.

“One and the same, Miss Fisher.”

“I suppose I ought to say ‘Where are we?’ but that seems dreadfully cliche.” 

She sounded much more awake even in those few seconds and he thought that skill might be something developed by those who had been at the front. When needed, they could all wake up very quickly, but at the same time, if they didn’t need to, they could sleep for days.

“Indeed it does, but I’ll answer it anyway. We are nearly to Melbourne again, where I am sure your chariot will be waiting at the station.”

“Mmm,” she nodded. “I’ll be glad to see it and my bed. Geelong may have many things to recommend it, but I haven’t found them yet.”

He could agree with that. Nothing they’d seen in Geelong had been particularly affirming of the human condition, from the uncomfortable hotel beds to the missing factory owner, whom they’d found with relatively little difficulty.

As it transpired, this particular owner had a second factory in Geelong, and he also had a second wife. And a second family, for that matter. He’d run up significant debt in the course of living two lives, especially living two lives on the scale that would be expected for a factory owner. Arranging for the kidnapping of other owners and managers so that he would have their ransom money paid out to him (less the ever-increasing payments for the thugs who’d actually done the kidnapping) had been his solution. The final step in his plan had been to have himself kidnapped. With the ransom money he knew his devoted wife would willingly pay, he could then leave his old life and his old debts behind. 

It was intelligent, well-planned, and utterly amoral. And if Phryne Fisher hadn’t been hired to investigate, Evans probably would have got away with it. Her contempt for him had been almost visible as she’d watched him be remanded into custody. Jack’s contempt had been less visible, but he couldn’t say he was sorry to know that the conditions Mr. Evans was currently experiencing were less comfortable than the ones he was accustomed to -- which happened to be the conditions Jack was currently experiencing, as it happened.

Miss Fisher had insisted first that she was riding First Class back to Melbourne and then that Jack was needed to protect her in case Evans escaped. Both of them knew that was far from likely, but quite honestly Jack couldn’t much mind the chance to sit in First Class. The funds of the police didn’t usually extend to that, after all. 

“I think everyone will be glad to be back in Melbourne. Well, perhaps not Mr. Evans. Speaking of which, have you decided what you’ll say to Mrs. Evans?”

“I thought I’d suggest she consider the possibility of an extended overseas holiday,” Phryne mused. “Paris is lovely this time of year.”

“It’s the dead of winter there,” he pointed out, though he knew she knew that.

“Oh, so it is,” she agreed innocently. “Well, the South of France then. I’m sure she’ll find something - or someone - to distract her.”

With that, she yawned hugely and settled her head back onto his shoulder.

“That’s tomorrow’s task, though. Do try not to move too much, Jack.”

She dropped off to sleep as quickly as she had woken up and Jack smiled to himself before dropping his head back against the bolster. He wouldn’t wake her for the world, not even if his arm went numb, which it was beginning to do.

Phryne Fisher was many things, but right now, to him, she was the only thing.


End file.
